


2.20 Red All Over

by hoppa12345



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29599752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoppa12345/pseuds/hoppa12345
Summary: set during 2.20 Red All Over. What happened on the car trip back from seeing Stiles? What if Lisbon had pressed Jane to talk about what Stiles said?
Kudos: 10





	2.20 Red All Over

"You know, now I see why Red John really enjoys sparring with you. A worthy adversary, eh?"

She saw Jane hesitate in surprise, just briefly. "Yes. Straight for the jugular," he added to her, without taking his eyes from Stiles.

"Obviously struck a nerve," she said, going for nonchalant.

"Hmm," Jane agreed.

Stiles watched their exchange with cold, amused eyes. "Losing a wife and child like that makes a man reckless, untethered. Fills him with an anger and shame that he cannot express," he continued, clearly enjoying himself. It made Lisbon hate him, more than it probably should have. "Well, must make _your_ job very hard," he said to her.

"Yes, but the health plan's great."

Jane was still smiling pleasantly at him. If she didn't know any better, she'd say the words _hadn't_ hit home with a resounding clash. But she did know better, which meant that she knew Stiles' jabs were far from leaving her friend unaffected. Very far indeed. Lisbon blinked and focused again on the scene transpiring in front of her, just in time to hear Jane say quietly, "... or I will make it my sole purpose to hound you for the rest of your miserable, phony life."

She opened her mouth to issue one of her standard warnings – well, standard when it came to Jane, at least – wondering how it had escalated that much in the five seconds her attention had strayed, but Stiles beat her to responding. "Whoa. Am I hearing a threat here? I mean, aren't there _rules_ about this sort of thing? Hm?" He looked pointedly at Lisbon.

She smiled back at him, trying not to reveal the anger that was prickling away under her skin. "Like you said, untethered," she responded breezily. She then tried to negotiate with him, get him to give up Elizabeth, but Jane, all the time looking at Stiles, interrupted,

"Forget it, Lisbon. I'm bored."

He got up and began to walk away, but not before Stiles opened his mouth once more and gave them Elizabeth's whereabouts. Just to spite Jane, she imagined. "Have a nice day," she muttered as she followed her consultant out the door.

**_mentalist_ **

Once in the car, Lisbon started up the engine and pulled out of the lot, speed-dialling Rigsby on the car's speakerphone at the same time.

He answered almost immediately. "Hey boss, what's up?"

He told her their findings, risking a glance at Jane. He was staring out the window, lost in thought. "Anything to add?" she asked him, expecting some offhand and perhaps crude comment about Stiles, but he only shook his head at her before turning away again. Lisbon ended the call, glancing worriedly at Jane again before focusing her attention on the journey ahead.

They fell into an uneasy silence.

**_mentalist_ **

What felt like an eternity later, Jane finally broke it. "What?" he asked her tiredly. Lisbon hesitated for a moment, confused.

"I didn't say anything."

He sighed. "You've been looking at me every few minutes for the last three hours. I thought you'd get bored and stop, but you haven't. What's the matter?"

She felt a flash of surprise and satisfaction. Surprise that he couldn't just read it off her face, and satisfaction that she still wasn't _completely_ predictable to him. "Nothing's the matter."

"Ooh, Lisbon, big mistake, lying to me. I can always tell," he teased, flashing her one of his mischievous grins.

Lisbon rolled her eyes, smiling slightly. Now _this_ was more like the Jane she knew, rather than the sullenly silent man she'd been in the company of for the last few hours. "Sure you can," she teased back, relieved to engage in a bit of light banter after the tense exchange back at Visualize HQ. "I've lied to you plenty of times, and you've never once called me on it."

"Can't give away the party trick _too_ soon!" he retorted, eyes gleaming. "If I'd called you out every time in the past, you might have changed your tells, and then I'd have to re-learn them. That's no fun."

"Tell- _s_? Plural?"

"Plural," Jane confirmed, grinning at her. "You have many, my dear. You're a downright _terrible_ liar."

She dropped her mouth open in mock-outrage. "Terrible? _Terrible?!_ I can be a good liar, thank you very much! Maybe I just don't bother putting in any effort when I lie to you!"

"Cos you know I'll see straight through it," Jane shot back, grinning. She grinned too, looking across at him. He held her eyes for a moment, before looking away, face falling again as he repeated his question. "So what's the matter?"

She averted her eyes, staring hard at the road once more. He wouldn't like it, she knew. But she also knew that he wouldn't let it go now. She'd have to tell him. "Are you... okay?" she asked tentatively, wincing inwardly at the seemingly harmless words. She hated asking him that. She hated hearing him lie to her.

"Why do you ask that?" he asked casually, watching her face.

"Stiles seems to... get to you," she said, choosing her words carefully. "I was... worried about you, that's all."

"Oh? No, don't be silly, I'm fine," he said dismissively. Lisbon met his eyes, genuinely surprised; and, of course, slightly indignant, as she always was when she thought he was lying to her.

"Really?" she asked doubtfully.

"Really."

He held her gaze for a moment, as if that proved anything, she thought suspiciously. He was a skilful liar, and knew just how to play her.

"But what he said about your wife and child, Jane," she insisted, gaining confidence now. "I doubt that didn't sting at _all_." She heard his sharp intake of breath, and saw him turn back to her out of the corner of her eye. She looked over at him, immediately feeling guilty, and pulled over to the curb so she could speak to him properly. She reached for his arm. "Jane-"

"Don't," he said softly, shying away from her and looking down at his hands, but not before she had seen the badly disguised pain in his eyes. After a few deep breaths, he looked back up at her again, all signs of emotion gone. All she saw now was steely resolve, determination. In a heartbeat, his walls were back up, and he was just her consultant. "I'm okay, Lisbon," he said firmly, voice strong and certain. "Really."

"Okay. You..." she hesitated, turning back to face the front and gripping the steering wheel tightly. "You know I'm here for you, right? If ever you need to..." her voice trailed off.

"I know," he murmured, squeezing her shoulder. Her skin tingled where he'd touched it. "Thanks."

She smiled faintly, pulling back into the flow of traffic. "Well, I'm never saying it again, so I hope you listened carefully," she teased, easily slipping back into their usual pattern.

"Oh, I know I'm very privileged, Lisbon, don't you worry," he smirked back, hitting her playfully on the shoulder.

"Hey! Driving here!" she said indignantly, unable to stop the laughter bubbling up inside her.


End file.
